Romantic cityscapes

More about the book

While a few central Romantic texts representing the city have long been debated, the systematic investigation of the city’s role in British Romanticism has gained traction only recently. To explore Romantic urbanity and its cultural expressions, selected papers from the 14th International Symposium of the German Society for English Romanticism are assembled. The essays delve into various cultural forms, including poetry, novels, drama, essays, religious tracts, travel writing, political commentary, medical literature, caricature, visual arts, architecture, and urban performances. Rather than merely discussing representations of the city, the volume engages with the complex interplay between urban anthropology and poetics, posing questions about how urban conditions shape individuality, society, and cultural production. Contributions include discussions on modernity and estrangement in London, the impact of the city on human form, and the relationship between urbanization and poetry in the works of Shelley and Keats. The essays also examine themes such as hygiene discourse, urban wanderlust, and the representation of cities like Dublin and Istanbul, ultimately enriching the understanding of Romanticism's engagement with urban landscapes.